Depression can be different for everyone, but there are some common signs and symptoms:
Changes to feelings or emotions
- Feeling unhappy, moody and irritable/snappy for more than two weeks. Some people also have feelings of emptiness or numbness
- No longer enjoying things that used to be enjoyable
- Feeling worthless or guilty a lot of the time
- Feeling like everything has become ‘too hard’
Changes to thoughts
- Negative thoughts about themselves, the world and the future
- Having a hard time concentrating and making decisions, or remembering things
- Having thoughts of death or suicide.
Physical changes
- Feeling tired most of the time
- Low energy and motivation
- Having trouble sleeping (getting to sleep, staying asleep or waking up in the morning)
- Loss of interest in food or eating too much, leading to weight loss or gain
- Aches and pains that can’t be explained.
Think you might be experiencing depression?
If you are concerned about your mental health, you can take a free, online and anonymous depression self-test here:
https://www.blackdoginstitute.org.au/clinical-resources/depression/depression-self-test